CIAO FROM TUSCANY... ALL IS GOOD RE: CORONAVIRUS

I wanted to reassure you that everything is fine and safe for your planned trip to Italy. #Season2020 in Italy is going to be amazing! We have the best activities planned for all of our guests!

Currently, there are no travel restrictions to Italy.

As a matter of fact, ITALY will be the safest place in 14 to 21 days because of the swift immediate precautionary & preventative actions of the Italian government and Italian healthcare system. They are being preemptive and proactive in shutting down and containing this virus to protect citizens and travelers here in Italy.

There have been no airplanes from China or with China connections since the beginning of January. There have been no cruise ships docked with any coronavirus since January.

All borders, Planes, Trains & Automobiles are being monitored and checked. If you have a fever at the border you will be given the test for the virus. We are the only country that is actively testing anyone and everyone with a fever. Which is exactly why the media is reporting a spike here. Here in Italy after testing for free almost 10,000 people only 322 people have been diagnosed with Coronavirus (out of a population of 66 million people) with 11 casualties (all patients in the same hospital as patient one with previous severe health issues like cancer, lung insufficiency and infarction).

Every precaution taken by the Italian Government aims at avoiding the spreading of this virus! If all countries tested potentially infected people, as it is being done here right now, they would find out the real numbers of this infection!

The regular flu kills every year thousands of people worldwide but no one is usually afraid of that. The number of confirmed coronavirus infected is very low, there are only 322 cases of contagion… They are entirely contained in one area of 50,000 people north of Milan. 322 people in a country of 66 million people equals 0.000004833333333%!

Two of these people from this town left. One went to Sicily and one went to Venice. They have been found, quarantined, and are recovering in treatment. The government out of an abundance of caution is testing everyone that they have come in contact with. And have asked local authorities to shut down certain public events for 14 days.

Even though new cases have been reported over the past 24 hours this virus is already showing signs of slowing down. It is being contained.

The American media is blowing this out of proportion and actively lying to the American public. For example… Our very good friends daughter from Long Island just returned home from Italy on a high school trip. All of the children returned sick. The local news reported that they had coronavirus. In fact, they all had salmonella from the plane trip. Just another example how the American media tell a story for their benefit! Remember Headlines=clicks or viewers = $$! Please do not fall for the “click bait false headlines”…

If you have seen images of empty supermarkets it’s because people in a general hysteria are buying 5 times more food than usual so nobody was prepared to that, but we do not have a food shortage! The people you see queuing to access grocery stores are the ones living in the so called “ red zone “ a group of 10 small villages where patient one is from, these people are not allowed to leave their towns so all of them forced to go to the same stores to buy enough food to stay home for a week or 2 as a form of prevention not because they are infected! No different that what I experiences over and over in Miami during hurricane season.

Happy to share with you what our Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte just said, confirming that all is safe here in Italy and encouraging travelers from all over the world to keep visiting our wonderful Country:

"Italy is a safe country, a country where we can still travel freely and securely as a tourist. There are only some very restricted and limited areas in our Country, which are now under strict control also for what concerns the circulation of people. For what concerns the rest of the Country, WE CAN TRAVEL freely, securely and with NO FEAR. Italy is a safe Country, much safer than many others."

Please read a humble social media post from our friend and colleague John Voightman from Hotel La Bandita in Pienza “To everyone in our extended La Bandita family, I wanted to offer my thanks for your concerns as we start the new season here. At the moment here in Tuscany, life goes on very much as normal, where as of today, there are no cases of the virus. The majority of cases in Italy are clustered around several small towns in the north, and the Italian government has acted with (surprising) efficiency and transparency, understandably enacting intense precautionary measures in those areas. The first individuals infected are already recovering and those who have died from this virus have all been elderly and already suffering from cancer or diabetes or other health issues. More cases will come, and no doubt this virus will arrive on everyone’s shores soon. And while the world's attention right now is focused on this, the truth is all of us face far greater dangers in our daily lives every day (millions suffer the flu each year in Italy alone, with many of the weakest members of society succumbing each year with no media attention). Our planet is facing far great disruptions and dangers right now, while we count on one hand new cases of coronavirus. This is the current situation, but of course things may change for the better or the worse. Those of us that work in hospitality and travel depend on the freedom and tranquility of global movement so of course we are hopeful and optimistic for a speedy stabilization of the situation. But we are also concerned and responsible members of a global community, and if the situation becomes unsafe, I will honestly report to our guests and clients that it is not the moment to travel. But for now, there is no reason to suspend plans. Now is not the moment to panic, withdrawal and listen to politicians or “journalists” acting unreasonably for their own benefit. Listen, follow the instructions from responsible and reasonable leaders, stay informed from trustworthy sources, stay in touch with your friends around the world, and continue to live your lives. Now...where is my Negroni?”

Fear is more deadly than this Virus... Please don’t let FEAR take over our lives and keep us from living fully and joyfully!

Phil, Cooper and I are looking forward to welcoming you to Relais Ortaglia for a wonderful Italian holiday!